【推荐1】Since 1953, China has been making five-year plans to guide its social and economic development. The most recent one is the 14th Five-Year Plan, which began in 2021.

This plan is expected to be the cornerstone (基石) of China’s development in the coming decades. That’s because the period between 2021 and 2025 marks the first five years on the country’s journey towards building a modern socialist (社会主义)country by 2049.

For the next five years, China is expected to further improve high-quality development. For example, the country will push forward development in fields like medicine, supporting the construction of international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(粤港澳大湾区).

And by 2035, China is expected to make great progress in providing common prosperity(富裕) for everyone.

The development gap between cities and rural areas will be reduced. The per capita GDP will reach the level of moderately developed countries.

The society is expected to develop in a well-rounded way, with China’s cultural soft power growing much stronger.

1. What goal does China hope to achieve by 2049?

A．To become a developed country.	B．To build a modern socialist country.
C．To complete the 14th Five-Year Plan.	D．To finish building a well-off society.

2. What are Paragraphs 3 and 4 about?

A．The focus of the 14th Five-Year Plan.

B．Fields that China have failed to develop.

C．What China has done in the past decades.

D．Which aspects are most important for national development.

3. Which goal is expected to be achieved by 2035?

A．Increased incomes.	B．Strengthened cultural development.
C．Equality for all.	D．Common prosperity for everyone.

4. What is the main message of the text?

A．China is becoming more important globally.

B．China is facing a turning point in the history.

C．Chinese people have helped their country develop.

D．China is making plans to promote its development.

【推荐2】In recent years, a growing number of companies have launched unmanned stores, hoping to reap big benefits. In these stores, electronic systems, instead of human workers, handle sales. Some of the earliest adopters of the unmanned store model have been in China. For example, the F5 Future Store, a convenience store without cashiers, opened in Guangzhou in 2014. In this store, the products are dispensed by special machines. Customers pay for them using their smartphones.

Amazon, a world leader in online shopping, has also entered the cashier-free space. Its first such supermarket, Amazon Go, opened in Seattle in February 2020 and offered over 5, 000 items for purchase. In just one year, Amazon has added twenty-five more Amazon Go stores across the country.

The cashier-free model isn't suitable for all retail stores, however. One reason is the absence of the personal touch. Since there is no cashier, the connection between customer and cashier is missing. For this reason, the cashier free model may not be appropriate for department stores where customers are used to asking cashiers about products and getting other assistance from them.

The cashier free model also has an effect on add-on sales. In stores with cashiers, customers commonly have to wait in line to check out. While in line, they often grab extra items like candy or magazines that are displayed near the register. Cashier-free stores aim to shorten or eliminate checkout lines altogether. Customers in these stores like the fact that they can check out faster without waiting in line. The stores, however, lose add-on sales.

1. What is the main purpose of this article?

A．To analyze attractive employment opportunities.

B．To question reports about international commerce.

C．To discuss a major change in human behavior.

D．To examine various aspects of a business trend.

2. What does the article imply about the Amazon Go project?

A．It's expanded very quickly.

B．It's angered some of its staff.

C．It's faced tough competition.

D．It's suffered from long delays.

3. According to this article, why do some people like a cashier-free store?

A．They save money because the goods are discounted.

B．They can complete their purchases more efficiently.

C．They're less likely to be exposed to germs and bacteria.

D．They're able to shop alone at any time of day or night.

【推荐1】Almost all of us have dreamed of winning the lottery (彩票). But the biggest question is: What will you do when you win that kind of money? Sports cars and houses are the usual answers together with luxury goods like bags and shoes. But for this UK woman, it’s all about giving back.

Frances Connolly, 55, a former social worker and teacher from Northern Ireland scored a huge £115 million fortune or about $145 million. The first thing she did was sharing blessings with friends and family. In fact, she had a list prepared in advance just in case she won.

With the money, Connolly set up two charitable foundations. One was named after her late mother Kathleen Graham. The foundation is currently based in Northern Ireland. The other one is the PFC Trust which supports local caregivers, the elderly, and refugees (难民) in her hometown.

Giving back to the community isn’t new to Connolly. Connolly once volunteered with St. John Ambulance as a child. She was also part of an AIDS hotline while she was studying in Belfast. Currently, she’s still involved in her community, especially with the unemployed, refugees, caregivers, and the elderly. She also provided tablet computers (平板电脑) for the seniors so they can regularly keep in touch with their families.

When asked by local news whether she was happy to give so much money away, she just said, “I’m happy and I’ll do that all my life.”

“If you can do good things for deserving people, go ahead,” she said. “It makes no sense to me to have that kind of money and not use it to do good in the world.”

1. What did Connolly do after she won the lottery?

A．She used the money to help others.	B．She gave away the money to refugees.
C．She shared the money with her family.	D．She bought luxury things with the money.

2. What did Connolly do for the old?

A．She employed caregivers for them.

B．She bought them communication tools.

C．She built a shelter for them in the community.

D．She reminded their children to look after them.

3. Which of the following can best describe Connolly?

A．Kind and generous.	B．Just and sympathetic.
C．Talented and determined.	D．Warm-hearted and humorous.

4. Which section of a newspaper is the text probably taken from?

A．Science.

B．Fiction.

C．Figure.

D．Literature.

【推荐3】In recent years, a number of China’s technological innovations have been making their moves in the world. Among them, four stand out with a reputation of China’s “four great new inventions” in modern times, which have made the daily life of the public more and more convenient.

1. SHARED BICYCLES

Shared bicycles, concentrating on dealing with ‘the last mile’ in people’s trips, have boomed over the last two years. Mobike and Ofo became the mainstream after the fierce market competition. According to a survey launched by Questmobile, the monthly frequency of use of the mobile amounted to 1.1 billion in September this year.

2. HIGH-SPEED RAIL

Boasting low cost and quick delivery, China has built the world’s longest high-speed rail (HSR) network. It had operated 2,595 high-speed trains by 2016, which took up 60 percent of the world’s total high-speed trains.

3. ALIPAY

Alipay, or Zhifubao, has become China’s leading mobile and online payment service, established in 2004 by China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. Alipay can also be used for transferring money from one Alipay online account to another account, or from the online account to a bank account by binding a debit card to the online account.

4. E-COMMERCE

With around 731 million Internet users, China has been the world’s largest and fastest-growing e-commerce market. According to the statistics from Chinese Statistical Bureau, in 2016, China’s online retail sales reached 5155.6 billion yuan, with year on year growth up to 26.2%. Online shopping has become a vital part of life. The function of supermarket is even brought online and fresh products become available in first-tier cities now.

1. Which contributes most to the final part of a trip?

A．Alipay

B．E-commerce

C．High-speed rail

D．Shared bicycles

2. What do the four inventions have in common?

A．They are cheap and efficient.

B．They are related to the Internet.

C．They have brought great convenience to people.

D．They are only popular with young Chinese people.

3. Which of the following is the passage probably taken from?

A．A newspaper.

B．A travel journal.

C．A brochure.

D．A text book.

【推荐1】In 2017, Irish President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina started the Young Irish Philosopher Awards, the purpose of which is to invite students from throughout that country to reflect on interesting questions and participate in philosophical thinking and discussion. In 2023, over 500 young thinkers came together at University College Dublin for the sixth annual gathering. The grand prize winner was Seán Radeliffe from Cork, for his essay ‘Has Plato’s tale of the cave been warning us of social media for 2,500years?’And speaking of Plato, in 2022, an award-winning documentary film entitled Young Plato received international recognition. It focuses on how Kevin McArevey, the headmaster of a primary school in Belfast’s Ardoyne housing estates, uses critical thinking techniques to empower young children to look beyond the boundaries of their violence(For more, see YoungPlato. com). As one can see, philosophy is alive and well in both the Republic of Ireland and the UK constituent country of Northern Ireland.

Ireland has traditionally been known as the Land of Saints and Scholars. In this edition of Philosophy Now, we’ll cast a cold eye on the state of philosophy past, present and future in the Emerald Isle, with a focus on Thomas Duddy’s idea, in his book A History of Irish Thought, that such an exploration must be both practical and creative.

This issue is dedicated to my late friend Seán Moran, a Philosophy Now writer and a modern Irish philosopher whom I met in Waterford many years ago, and whose humor, charm, and friendliness enriched my life. Like Tom Duddy, Seán died much too young. He demonstrated to me the true meaning of William Butler Yeats’s closing words from his poem ‘The Municipal Gallery Revisited’:

“Think where man’s glory most begins and ends

And say my glory was I had such friends.”

Prof. Timothy J. Madigan

St John Fisher University

1. What can readers probably get on YoungPlato. com?

A．How critical thinking helps students reflect on their violence.

B．How Plato’s stories influence social media every now and then.

C．How Higgins and his wife started the Young Irish Philosopher Awards.

D．How young thinkers try philosophical thinking and discussion annually.

2. What will be highlighted in this edition of Philosophy Now?

A．Ireland’s Philosophical Evolution.	B．Thomas Duddy’s ideas on history.
C．The growing reputation of Ireland.	D．The ideal way of exploring philosophy.

3. Why does the author quote Yeats’s poem?

A．To compare Seán’s achievement with Tom Duddy’s.

B．To express the author’s sorrow for Seán’s early death.

C．To appreciate the friendship between the author and Seán.

D．To demonstrate the author’s understanding of philosophy.

4. What best shows the author’s view on philosophy?

A．Creative.

B．Reflective.

C．Skeptical.

D．Confused.

【推荐2】More schools around the USA are using online classes when communities run into troubles like wildfires, storms or water shortages.

In Jackson, Mississippi, a problem with the public water system left the city without safe water for several days. As a result, schools had to go online for one week in May. The time in online learning did not last long for the 20, 000 students in Jackson. Earlier this month, children went back to in-person learning when the city said water was safe for normal use.

However, online learning caused problems for children and teachers. At home, children attending online classes often had their whole family in the house. Early in 2020, school officials had high hopes for online learning. Since then, the problems with it have become clearer. The change to online learning has caused many students to fall behind where they should be in their studies. And it has added to new worries about students’ health.

In 2018, two powerful storms hit the same area, causing schools in some places to close. Some students were out of school for weeks. There were attempts(尝试) at online learning, but many children did not have laptop computers or other technology. For this reason, most schools tried to move students to other in-person buildings.

“Schools now will look first to online learning,” said Gary Henry. He is head of the University of Delaware and has been part of a research team studying online learning. For a period of a few weeks, he said it could be a step to keep students on schedule. But the pandemic(疫情) showed that it was not a good way over a long period of time. “It’s a difficult start,” said Henry. “It’s better to have the kids in the classroom so you can see how they are doing, and provide timely support to them.”

1. How long did the students in Jackson attend online courses in May?

A．For two days.	B．For one week.
C．For two weeks.	D．For one month.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The disadvantages of online classes.

B．Added worries about students’ health.

C．A challenge school officials must face.

D．High hopes parents have for their children.

3. What did most schools do when two storms hit Jackson in 2018?

A．They developed an online learning system.

B．They handed out computers to every student.

C．They tried their best to have in-person class.

D．They encouraged parents to work from home.

4. Which statement will Henry probably agree with?

A．The storms cause all the schools to close every year.

B．Many schools in Mississippi were burned in a fire.

C．Online tests are more popular among students.

D．In-person learning is better for students’ study.

【推荐3】Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children. It primarily focuses on learning through playing to encourage children’s different kinds of development.     1    

Studies with Head Start programs throughout the United States have shown some evidence that there are quite a few advantages to early childhood education, which can produce significant gains in children’s learning and development. Compared with a child who does not attend pre-school, children completing their early education programs are found to be better at math and reading skills. They are excited to learn and have the tools to do so.     2     These children are more competent in their pre-school, kindergarten and school-age years, and they are usually reported as “friendlier” by parents and the children’s peers.

    3     In studies with matched control groups, more students who had early schooling experiences were employed at the age of 19, fewer were on welfare, and fewer were involved with the criminal activity. What’s more, some studies show that children attending pre-school are more likely to graduate and have higher education, and be well integrated as an adult.

Early childhood education gives most children a jump-start on education for their kindergarten and primary school years. It is clear that early childhood education do a lot of good to children.     4     If early childhood education is less effective, perhaps the best model is finding strategies for allowing a parent to stay home with his or her child for at least the first two to three years. Also important is considering a child’s own personality. Individual differences in children mean that not all children will get equal benefits from early childhood education.

A．The long-term influence of early education is significant as well.

B．They can benefit greatly from encouragement in their early childhood.

C．Yet its quality must be assessed to see what kind of benefits it actually provides.

D．They are also able to relate to others in a superior way and that improves their social skills.

E．Many experts of education, however, are concerned about what early childhood education means today.

F．It consists of activities that serve children in the pre-school years and is designed to improve later school performance.